Pubdate: Fri, 02 Mar 2018
Source: Philadelphia Daily News (PA)
Copyright: 2018 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.
Contact: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/about/feedback/
Website: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/339
Author: Sam Wood
GROWING PAINS FOR PA. MARIJUANA PROGRAM: DISPENSARIES RUN OUT OF MEDS
Too much demand. Not enough supply.
Less than two weeks after it launched, Pennsylvania's medical
marijuana program is a victim of its own success.
The two open marijuana dispensaries in the Philadelphia region
reported Friday they had sold out of most medicines and might not be
restocked until after March 15.
"We have no inventory," said Chris Visco, co-owner of the TerraVida
Holistic Center in Sellersville, Bucks County. "We took a shipment on
Wednesday. On Thursday we had the biggest sales day we've ever had. By
this morning, all we had left were a handful of disposable vape pens,"
a type of electronic cigarette loaded with hash oil.
Supplies were so limited at the Keystone Shop in Devon that the owners
decided on Thursday to shutter it. A notice on the dispensary's
website said it would remain closed until further notice.
"We're looking at resuming sales the third week in March," said Skip
Shuda, Keystone Shop's Chief Operating Officer. "It's frustrating for
us and it's frustrating for a lot of patients who were looking for
medicine."
Several factors caused the drought. Chiefly, only one of
Pennsylvania's 12 licensed marijuana wholesalers, Cresco Yeltrah, is
shipping to retailers. Two additional growers aren't expected to have
their crops harvested and processed into medicines until late March.
Visco said TerraVida was overwhelmed by the sheer number of
patients.
"I had projected 60 people initially for the entire month," Visco
said. "We had over 600 patients in our first eight days."
TerraVida will remain open with modified hours for patient
consultations and pre-orders, Visco said.
"Pennsylvania's market is much larger than anybody anticipated," Visco
said. "No one could have projected it."
In Bethlehem, Keystone Canna Remedies was down to a small number of
cartridges filled with indica oil and some concentrates. Owner Victor
Guadagnino said the shop was limiting sales to two cartridges per
customer and would remain open to provide patient consultations.
"We're going through some growing pains," Guadagnino said. "But as
other providers come on line, I don't think we'll see this issue again."
"We encourage patients to call the dispensaries to find out if they
have what they need and to set up a consultation," Hutcheson said.
When the first phase of Pennsylvania's medical marijuana program is
running at capacity, a dozen grower-processors will service a total of
51 dispensaries.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt